In just under three months, 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, the founder and face of India's Gen Z "cockroach" protests, has gained a level of fame typically reserved for rising actors or sports stars. Dipke, who recently earned a master's degree in public relations from Boston University, said he was "just in my room in Boston watching documentaries or attending lectures" two to three months ago. Now, he is surrounded by hundreds of people and media cameras, having become the center of a national movement. Dipke's movement began on 16 May when he posted on X, "What if all cockroaches come together?" in response to a comment by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, who had compared jobless young people to cockroaches. Kant later clarified that his remarks were aimed at individuals using fake degrees, not the youth as a whole. However, the clarification did little to ease public anger. Dipke and his campaign quickly became targets of online criticism from government supporters. Their website and X account were briefly taken down in India. Dipke said he received a notice from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stating the account had been blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows the government to block online content for reasons related to national security. The ministry did not respond to BBC inquiries, but media outlets reported that officials cited national security concerns as the reason. Dipke decided to return to India despite being labeled a national security threat by his government. He said he was advised by a lawyer not to return, warning that he could be detained under the National Security Act (NSA), which allows for detention without formal charges. He admitted he was afraid but felt compelled to return to prove he was not a threat. The cockroach protests were not the first mass movement against Modi's government, which had previously faced protests over a citizenship law in 2019 and farm laws in 2020. However, attempts to discredit the cockroach protests gained less traction this time, partly because education and employment remain major concerns for young Indians. A recent government report found that only 8.3% of graduates find jobs that match their skills, and the unemployment rate among graduates is 29.1%, nearly nine times higher than for those without formal education. The Chief Justice's remarks also found resonance with a broader public concern, especially after the national medical entrance exam was scrapped due to a question-paper leak. The scandal affected students and families across religious and caste lines and led to multiple student suicides. When Dipke first protested at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on 6 June, the turnout was in the hundreds. However, images of young protesters being met with force by police and paramilitary forces sparked a wave of support. Thousands began arriving at Jantar Mantar, and demonstrations spread to other cities. Opposition parties rallied behind the movement. On 25 July, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down, saying it was to prevent "anti-national elements" from exploiting the situation. This marked a swift reversal from the government, similar to when it repealed three farm laws in 2021 after a year of protests. Now that the initial excitement has passed, Dipke and the movement face the challenge of maintaining public attention. Their latest campaign focuses on conditions in government schools in rural India. As a Dalit, Dipke comes from a historically marginalized community in India's caste system. Quotas in education and jobs for lower castes remain a divisive issue. Over the past decade, India has seen rising Islamophobia and deepening religious divisions. Some critics accuse the movement of avoiding issues affecting Muslims and lower-caste communities to avoid alienating Hindu supporters. Dipke denies these claims, insisting on the movement's commitment to addressing broader social injustices.